The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-04-28
WHAT WAS HEa

49, arZ.4 WAtnfn NY pACooI
MN. J. Daspson, fn Detroit Free Press.
-
WHAT WAS HE?
A Doubt as to the Honesty Of Lit
tie Filippo.
We had just arrived in Rome. II
was ten o'clock at night, the rain was
coming down through the darkness
with gentle persistence, and Aunt Bet
sey and I felt bit homesick when we
walked out Of the station and looked
about for somebody to carry our
satchelss There we're cabs about, but
amt is .sfrugally inclined" and as the
rooms we had engaged were only two
blocks down the broad Via E~azionale,
we had no thought more extravagant
than Of engaging a five-cent porter, for
our bags were too heavy to carry while
holding u umbrellas open.
But owing to the lateness of the
hour, or some other cause, the usual
crowd of official loiterers was absent,
and we stood under the doorway peer
ing into the night, feeling more forlorn
every second, n conscious OF sur
prisingly little interest in the Baths of
Diocletian, whose crumbling arches
were dimly visible through the rain.
Suddenly there appeared before us a
scrap of humanity, who laid a tiny
brown hand on my valise, and proffer-
ed his services.
We could not understand what he
said. but pantomime is the universal
Language, and we knew perfectly well
what ne meant
Aunt Betsey said she thought he was
too small. The tortures which he-in-
nicted on the Italian language were
worthy MY I the inqu1sitlon, put our
little friend either anticipated the re-
mark, or e p~recoclous intelligence,
Tor ne vociierated an eager negative,
ana' extenalng . smaii arm. begged us
to 1eei OF nus muscle, repeating fofte'
slgnorais with UGH honest and manly
earnesness tnat Aunt betseys neart
warmed. ana sne said; wen, al r1gnt!
Come aiongs ~ ISM very TAT, anu
mere doesn't seem 10 De anybody else.
her tongue was foreign, but not her
expression. he seized q vaiise with
each hand and trotted on, looking ab-
surdly hko n OF the tiny donkeys
with tremendous Panlers' winch we
OFTEN saw
ASK him how muchF. whlspereds
our one invarlanle ruie pe1ng 70 make
. bargain peIorenana
'otopi SAID Aunt betsey' lmperl-
ously. "Qudnto costd7
His reply was full OF sweet humility:
Amy thing the signora pleases."
He led the way, and we followed un-
der our umbrellas; / peeped from I'M
der, but saw nothing on either side but
tall m~odern-built houses and most pro
sale shops.
l was disappointed; I had expected
to be thrilled; every one I had ever
read about was thrilled at the first
glimpse of the Eternal City; was sure
there had been great deception some.
where, and l felt aggrieved.
To be sure, it was like a dream fol
me to be in Rome at all; me, Lily Anr
S~chocken, whose washed h~air-ribbons
and patched shoes made me looked
down upon at school by Dollie English
and her set; excluded from their par.
ties, and cut at the Sunday-school
picnic.
The whole thing had been SO sudden
that l left home in a whirl OF excite
ments which was only quenched by sea.
sickness
Mother was braiding my hair one
morning-it was dr~eadfully snarly, and
was making a good deal OF fuss, wher
Aunt betsey, who called about once {
year, popped her head in at the door
and said: I'm going to Europe agar
next week, ana II you IKE, LII tax
Lily Ann along"
screamed and mother dropped thu
comb.
II you're gong TO G like that, yol
can stay at home said my aunt, seat
ing herself composediy in the rocking
y don't know as l can spare m,
girl" SAID mother, wistfully, hardl.
liking to see me so wild to leave her
Dear mother! L was only thinking hoV
the girls at school would be oVerpow
cred, what airs l would assume, VIVA
irins l could pat on. doubted II
wonid SPEAK = Doiiie English at all
nad cahed tnem .stucK-up, u l In
tendea 70 De .sstuck-up. myself now
ano I iounu II a very agreeable feel
ing,
was tninking OF tnese tnings as W
Patcerea Gown ne deserted street, pas
shops tnat iooKed as II tney mad abou
one customer q year, and across door
ways that opened into great meianchoi,